


Rising Dawn

by Silent_Rain



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Strangers to Lovers, Survival, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_Rain/pseuds/Silent_Rain
Summary: Trapped in a sinister realm where humanity has fallen and hope has faded, Yeosang is simply trying to stay alive. Threading through the barren lands completely on his own while being haunted by evil creatures driven mad with the need for blood, he didn't count on crossing paths with a person so different yet similar to him, set on stealing the last remains of his food rations - and in the long run, his heart.Two lost souls find their way to each other, each with their own secrets lurking in the shadows and standing between them, but none of them will give up so easily - because it's hard to learn love in a world that's ruined, ruled by blood and fear, and when you do… It's forever.
Relationships: Jung Wooyoung/Kang Yeosang
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Yeosang was dragging his feet in the direction of a dilapidated warehouse having caught his eye from a distance. Like every other building nearby it had been abandoned ages ago, its windows broken and letting the freezing wind sneak in easily. The sky was overhung with steel-grey, thick clouds, not a sliver of sunshine in sight and fading into black slowly with evening approaching. 

_We’re deep into autumn_ , Yeosang thought miserably, pulling open the ramshackle tin door of the warehouse with a screeching noise. He could only hope that it was indeed as empty as it appeared to be from the outside, not in the mood for a bad surprise. 

With the weather getting colder and darker at this time of the year, vampires were more likely to crawl out of their hideouts during daylight just as much as in the night, the deadly rays filtered and allowing them to move without immediately being burned. That said, currently anything possessing a roof would probably remain safe for the time being, unlike the naked streets. 

Summer had been the opposite, comparably pleasant, vast sunlight and heat preventing any cursed creatures from setting foot out of their underground bases. Now, with the days getting shorter and dusk arriving sooner steadily, Yeosang wasn’t looking forward to keeping his guard up non-stop, trying to desperately find more or less safe spots to squeeze in a feeble amount of sleep whenever possible.

He let out a sigh of relief when he found the warehouse deserted as expected, a weak draft ruffling his clothes and making him shiver. He’d have to get another jacket from somewhere soon, best paired with a set of warmer clothes and new boots. Although he’d lost count of the exact number of days that had passed since the fall, he knew that it happened in spring - which meant that he’d been living in solitude and haunted by constant anxiety for at least half a year now. Winter would be a challenge to overcome and he wasn’t confident that he’d be able to make it. 

Yeosang set down his backpack in the left corner of the hall, the spot least affected by decay and shards of glass piling up. The heavy weight lifting from his shoulders gave him the chance to momentarily relax his strained back muscles. Always carrying the big bag holding all his possessions everywhere while often walking several miles each day sometimes took its toll, even if he’d become used to it relatively fast. 

He took out his sleeping mat, a flimsy thing he’d found months ago in a rundown store for camping equipment, additionally to some other useful items. It did its job mediocrely, working well with an extra blanket, but he couldn’t deny how upset he’d been when there hadn’t been any actual sleeping _bags_ left. He’d like to know who had gotten to them before him, not having encountered a single - human - soul in many months.

Yeosang contemplated making a fire but decided against it, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to himself, as he’d have enough of that anyway when the temperatures dropped even lower. He was pretty sure that vampires had night-vision, being nocturnal and all, but dwelling in the dark allowed him the temporary illusion of staying hidden from their predatory eyes.

He lied down on the mat, sliding the blanket over his body, the thin material doing essentially nothing to warm him up. 

_I hate this season._

Yeosang kept lying awake on his makeshift bed, pulling the covering tighter around him and staring blindly into the darkness. The rest of daylight was swiftly bleeding into somber shadows. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been able to fall asleep easily, much less the last time he’d slept well. It must have been ages ago. Before the fall, assumably.

The fall, taking everything from him, never to be brought back, except for his very life. A life that had lost its meaning and become insignificant within such a ruined world, worth nothing more than a flower blooming between the cracks of the concrete walkways paving through the city ruins. 

The fall, with sinister, blood-thirsty creatures rising out of the darkest corners to overthrow humanity and spread devastating fear in its purest form. No one had seen it coming and no one had been prepared - including Yeosang.

The fall, changing everything he’d ever known, leaving him behind with broken and blurred memories. Fending off enemies and wandering around completely on his own, the occasional subdued singing of scattered birds his only companion in the suffocating and ghostly silence. 

Yeosang had learned quickly that listening to your surroundings closely was required in such a quiet more than ever. The slightest suspicious noise had to reach your attuned ears fast or else there’d be no guarantee of staying alive for more than a few more seconds. 

Which was the reason why he felt an icy chill running down his back upon startling to full alert and out of his drowsy inner reflections from a loud rustling, located way too near for comfort from the sounds of it. 

He tensed, sliding his fingers around the hilt of his trusted silver knife which he always kept tucked in a sling around his belt, along with a tiny flashlight. The former had saved his life on more than one occasion, proving to be a rather effective weapon against anyone thirsting for his blood, and the latter was an unmissable tool for nightly excursions he sometimes had no choice but undertaking.

The rustling continued, obviously coming from someone - some _t_ _hing_ \- shuffling through Yeosang’s backpack, not caring if they were subtle with it or not. If Yeosang was lucky, it would only be a stray animal, but he didn't think that the noises would be so directed and intense then. What threw him off even more, was the fact that his _backpack_ seemed to be the target - which vampire would care for any of his possessions instead of _him_ , an alive and walking source of fresh, delicious blood?

Yeosang breathed in deeply. _Stay calm_ , he told himself, pulling the knife out properly and then getting up in one smooth move, turning towards the source of the commotion and holding up the flashlight with his other hand. The pale illumination was blinding at first, but it didn’t take Yeosang long to recognize the figure crouching before his backpack, visibly surprised at being caught, two cans of soup in his clutches. 

It was a person, male judging from his - admittedly quite run-down and rough - appearance, messy black hair obscuring his face and clothes torn in numerous places. He certainly didn’t resemble any of the feral vampires Yeosang had seen so far, since those had long since lost their truly human features, degenerated to deranged and monstrous creatures. That was also the only way Yeosang knew them though, so he didn’t think the guy even was a vampire. 

That only left… a human. A _fellow_ human.

Yeosang was so perplexed at his observation, that it was probably showing, giving the stranger the chance to try and make off with his loot. 

“Hey!”, Yeosang called out, catching him quickly and grabbing his arm without hesitation, the flashlight dropping to the floor in the process. The thief resisted, unexpectedly strong for his thin build, but it was nothing Yeosang couldn’t handle. He’d physically fought several ferals before after all.

He kept his grip steadfast, using his legs as well and effectively toppling them both over, crashing to the ground. Yeosang pinned the stranger down, putting all his weight on him and hovering his knife mere centimetres above his throat. It earned him a hard gulp from the guy, accentuated by the flashlight providing a half-obscured shine. It was followed by one last attempt of getting out of Yeosang’s tight hold. _Useless._

Yeosang didn’t say anything, narrowing his eyes when he saw a kind of resignation enter the stranger’s gaze. He stopped struggling, limbs going lax and eyelids fluttering shut, seemingly ready to accept his fate. 

It didn’t feel right to Yeosang. Reluctantly he loosened his grip, getting up and moving a small distance away. He picked up the flashlight, knife still in position as well, focusing on the thief once more. The latter was apparently puzzled by Yeosang releasing him, sitting up heavily and squinting at the blinding light and Yeosang behind it. 

They continued staring at each other, Yeosang keeping his flashlight steady on the stranger, frozen like a deer in the headlights. Eventually, Yeosang decided to break the silence. “Who are you? Why are you trying to steal from me?” 

Maybe he shouldn’t have asked both questions at once, because the person was more than a little overwhelmed by the whole situation - frankly, Yeosang was too -, opening his mouth, but any words he might’ve wanted to say were stuck in his throat. 

“Well?”, Yeosang pressed. Then he noticed the lack of fangs in the rows of teeth the stranger was providing him with a view of now. He’d kept his lips pressed together tightly during their brief struggle. Yeosang lowered his knife minimally. “Are you a human?” The tone of this question was less aggressive than for the others. Presumably, that was why he finally got a proper response.

“Y-Yes. I-I’m a… human”, the guy confirmed, even if it seemed to cost him a lot. Yeosang couldn’t blame him - being a mere human these days was anything but fun. It basically answered why he’d wanted to steal Yeosang’s rations. He just wanted to survive, not unlike Yeosang himself. Not an excuse, but a reason. 

Yeosang dropped his hand holding the knife fully, sliding it back into his belt loop and easing his threatening stance. He saw the stranger’s terrified and insecure eyes getting calmer at the disarming gesture. 

“What’s your name?”, he tried again, softer and less accusing. He got a reply. “Wooyoung”, the guy said, voice gaining a more stable quality. A split second later, he dropped the two cans he was in fact still holding, not having let go of them despite their fight, as if they’d burned him. “I-I’m sorry. I thought you were asleep and then when you caught me, I just… reacted on instinct”, he stammered, a frown appearing on his face. 

_He sure is weird_ , Yeosang thought, contemplating how to carry on from here. He decided it would be best to start with the basics of what could affect him as well. “Were you attacked? Did a vampire chase you?” If that were the case, Yeosang was already mentally preparing to gather up his things and spend another sleepless night on the run, as he’d done it countless times before. 

Wooyoung shook his head. “I just wanted to get inside, somewhere.”

A relieving thing to hear, but Yeosang remained suspicious. “You didn’t come in through the door”, he pointed out. The obnoxiously loud noise of the old thing being opened would’ve caught his attention immediately after all.

“Uh, no, I didn’t. I… used one of the broken windows”, Wooyoung explained. 

_How did I not hear him jumping down?_ Yeosang wondered, although he didn’t want to dwell on it for now.

“Alright. It would be terrible of me to kick out one of the rare humans left in this world, so you can stay. I’ll be moving on tomorrow anyway, then this warehouse is all yours”, he stated, catching how Wooyoung’s expression lightened at the proposition.

“Thank you…”, he breathed, leaving the end of it open with a questioning edge. “Yeosang”, Yeosang gave back, unbothered. “Thank you, Yeosang”, Wooyoung repeated, radiating gratitude. 

Yeosang didn’t know how to feel. It was extraordinarily unusual and unforeseen how this person had randomly invaded his spot for the night. After so many months in complete solitude, he wasn’t sure how to act around other people, much less someone who had just wanted to steal from him and could be potentially dangerous. Yeosang begrudgingly came to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight, or at all. 

“Do you not have any belongings of your own?”, he inquired, moving back to his sleeping mat and sitting down on it. He kept the shine of his flashlight on Wooyoung at all times, the cold light illuminating the stranger’s pale face. He wasn’t eating well from the looks of it. Yeosang almost felt sorry, but he didn’t have it any better and wallowing in self-pity had never been a good choice before. 

Wooyoung bit his lip. “No… I don’t have anything. I lost it all.” Something heartbroken rose in his gaze and suddenly Yeosang was swept with guilt. He couldn’t know what Wooyoung had been through, the same things as him or worse. He recognized this particular admission as something connected to that and as way too intimate to be shared with him right now. Him, who had been holding him at knifepoint a mere minute ago. 

_This is what this world does to us. No mercy for anyone and survival before everything else._

It was Yeosang’s turn to apologize. “I’m sorry.”

Wooyoung snapped his focus back to him, the misty sadness in his features replaced by confusion. “Don’t be. It… It couldn’t be helped. It was bound to happen someday.”

Yeosang didn’t even dare to imagine which event _it_ might be referring to. Luckily Wooyoung continued right away. “I’m alone now. All by myself. I don’t have anywhere to go.” 

Every statement hit right at home with Yeosang. They resonated with everything he’d lived through over the past months. “Welcome to the club”, he offered drily, emotion drained from his voice.

Wooyoung huffed. “I don’t want to be a member.” He shuffled in his spot, kneeling next to Yeosang’s backpack. “How… How long have you been alone?”

Yeosang could have easily rejected him, not owing him an answer. But he didn’t. Because he couldn’t remember the last time he’d held a conversation with a person. A human. “Roughly six months”, he said, grim bitterness settling into his bones upon Wooyoung’s shocked reaction. 

“ _S_ _ix_ months? That’s half a year”, he exclaimed. Yeosang just shrugged. “Doesn’t feel as long when you’re fearing for your life constantly.”

“That’s one way to look at it”, Wooyoung murmured. “Don’t you get lonely?”

Yeosang almost laughed. Considering how he hadn’t done that since that one time a few weeks ago, where he’d narrowly escaped a feral vampire attack and had been high on adrenaline, this random stranger was really gaining one achievement after another now.

“What does it even mean to be lonely? Being by yourself? Having no one to share your thoughts or rations with? Feeling like you’re slowly going insane by running in circles and not getting anywhere, and there’s no one to keep you grounded?”, he mused, counting down all the things he’d missed all this time. 

Wooyoung stared at Yeosang for a long moment, visibly unsure of what to say - whether he should offer comfort or just keep quiet. Eventually, he cleared his throat, moving a little closer. “Do… Do you want to stay together? From now on?”

He was absolutely serious, Yeosang picked up on that. Which is why he was thrown through a loop. _Did he just suggest that we stick together? Am I dreaming?_

This guy, a human, an alleged _thief_ , was offering to stay by his side. Just like that. 

Yeosang frowned. “I beg your pardon?”

Wooyoung let a shy smile flicker over his lips. “I asked if you’d mind me sticking around. We’re both alone and lost, so why not make the best of it? Two pairs of eyes and ears see and hear more than one.”

Something in Yeosang - the rational part of his brain, no doubt - wanted to make him believe that this was all a mere ploy on Wooyoung’s side to deceive him. To gain his trust and then leave him bleeding at the first chance he got, going off with all of Yeosang’s meager possessions and never to be seen again. 

What caught him off-guard, was how the rationality paled strongly in comparison to the excited beating of his heart. He sensed his pulse thrumming through his veins, making him feel _alive_. Everything was urging him to take the risk. He had nothing to lose anyway. Nothing but his own life - a feeble, fleeting thing.

He contemplated Wooyoung for a moment before pushing out a single word. “Deal.”

“Really? I’m glad, I-”, Wooyoung began, but Yeosang interrupted him. “ _However_ , I know nothing about you. You were going to rob me just now, which is arguably not the best way to establish trust. So don’t get too comfortable - try anything else like that and I won’t hesitate to make you regret it. No second chances.”

Wooyoung’s mouth snapped shut and he gave a curt nod. “Got it. And… sorry about that, once again”, he said, almost sheepishly. “But doesn’t letting me stay with you already entail giving me a second chance?”

Yeosang raised an eyebrow. “That fully depends on you. You shouldn’t mess with me, if you’re smart.”

An amused snort reached his ears and he couldn’t stop himself from letting his gaze stray back to Wooyoung at the sound. Obviously he hadn’t been laughing much or at all over the last months, but it was an even more bizarre blow to witness another person showing an emotion like that after such a long time. “Understood”, Wooyoung affirmed, scooting over some more. “I’m guessing that you don’t have a second one of those mats with you?”

Yeosang shook his head, Wooyoung sighing in turn. “Great. Well, it can’t be helped, I’ll take the floor tonight. I was planning on doing that anyway.” He would’ve done it anyway, because he would’ve been alone. Alone somewhere in the cold - just like Yeosang. Yeosang’s heart squeezed with compassion. It was almost painful, as he hadn’t been able to feel it constrict like this in ages. 

“You can have my blanket. Better than nothing”, he said for that reason, the strange hurt multiplying when Wooyoung graced him with another delighted smile. “Is that fine with you?” 

“Yes.” Yeosang grabbed and bundled up his blanket, handing it to Wooyoung energetically, the latter clearly appreciating it strongly. “Thank you.” 

It was the second time that night that Yeosang heard those words of gratitude - coming from someone he’d assaulted at first sight because they had wanted to rob him. The whole situation was considerably surreal. He’d thought nothing would be able to surprise him anymore, but apparently he’d been wrong. 

He watched as Wooyoung spread the blanket on the floor, not far from Yeosang’s mat, lying down on it and covering himself with its edges. The innocent display was nice, but Yeosang knew that he’d not get another hour of sleep tonight. He wouldn’t trust this person just like that, much less with how chaotically they’d met. 

Yet he found himself hoping for Wooyoung to have a decent character - the wish was tinged with a certain desperation, speaking volumes on how Yeosang had been subconsciously craving for a companion. 

_I don’t want to be disappointed._

\- - -

_I don’t want to disappoint him._

Wooyoung really didn’t want to. After the momentarily disastrous turn of events of the night, he was still in disbelief about the human - _Yeosang_ \- having relented easily with letting him remain by his side. 

He’d actually been able to make him believe that he was a human as well. Just because he couldn’t help clinging to the last shreds of precisely that humanity, which would be leaving him sooner or later, the deadline getting closer rapidly.

He wasn’t human any longer. He was currently in between that and something so much more dreadful - a vampire. A seemingly immortal creature of the night, heavily dependent on blood and equipped with heightened senses, topping those of mere humans easily. 

He’d never wanted to become one. _Never_.

He didn’t know how much time he had left until his transformation was fully completed. It had been only half a week since… the tragic and highly unfortunate incident, bringing his current, ominous situation upon him. The incident in which his only friend had lost control of himself, almost draining him to death - but he hadn’t, managing a moment of clarity at the last second, making it possible for Wooyoung to escape before it was too late.

He was left scared beyond measure and with an unhealed, painfully throbbing bite wound on his arm, running away and hiding somewhere in pure despair. An unhealed wound such as this meant that he’d soon be forced to deal with the struggles that being a vampire brought with it. The worst of them was the bloodthirst. Wooyoung was terrified. 

He refused to acknowledge it, paid no attention to the bitemarks after bandaging them up messily. It didn’t change how he could feel the poison coursing through his veins, infecting every inch of his body with an awfully slow tempo. It was as if he was waiting for his execution, not sure when exactly it would strike him down. He remembered his friend's turning needing about three weeks to take proper effect. It wasn't very long, deepening Wooyoung's anxiety tremendously. 

He had no idea what he'd try and do to prevent himself from getting corrupted into a feral as soon as his new vampiric self took over - because that was undoubtedly what was going to happen at some point in the future. Every vampire he'd ever encountered had been feral, all of them insane and driven mad with the need for blood. The only exception had been his friend. San. 

Wooyoung consciously put up a mental blockade, closing his eyes and refusing to let the distress come flooding in once again. He didn't have any tears left to cry. He also didn't want to deal with Yeosang's potential questioning, should he break down in front of him - a person he didn't know. 

_Yet_ , he thought all the same. Perhaps sharing Yeosang's company would prolong his inevitable doom crashing down on him. 

Wooyoung could hear the human getting comfortable on his sleeping mat - as comfortable as possible on that threadbare thing -, but he was aware that Yeosang wouldn't go to sleep. Wooyoung would, solely because his life was forfeit and he had nothing to lose anyway. If Yeosang decided to end him after all, so be it. 

He’d nearly given up before, all fight leaving him. The human’s knife had hung above him threateningly, making Wooyoung feel frightened and uneasy for more than one reason. It was made out of silver, fit for effectively hurting and burning vampires - killing them. For a moment, Wooyoung had wondered what it would be like to let it touch and thus singe his skin, drawing stale blood. It was a rather dark thought, showing perfectly and shockingly how hopeless he’d become. 

But then he’d seen the determination on Yeosang’s face. A face worn out by the constant fight for survival and nights spent awake and on the run, nevertheless made of striking features. Wooyoung had felt a spark igniting at the observation, the deadly knife promptly fading from his vision and overshadowed by Yeosang and the story his resolved expression told. It was… _inspiring_. 

He was a human, comparably weak, haunted all the time and likely fearing that every single day could be his last - but he wasn’t giving up. He wasn’t succumbing to the cruel fate the world had thrown at him, among so many others. He fought on, evading death’s ruthless fingers skillfully day after day.

Wooyoung wanted to follow his example.

He didn’t want to die, not really. He’d lost everything, he’d be turning into a monster soon, but he did _not_ want to die. It was as simple as that. 

The thought of living on as something, some _one_ else was unsettling at best and horrendous at worst, but infinitely less scary than dying. Maybe he’d be labeled as selfish for it. He didn’t care.

Wooyoung would keep trying, even if he’d ultimately lose his humanity. 

The sobering conclusion made him feel slightly nauseous. He prominently remembered his last meal - quite literally, as of now -, a bowl of San's deliciously warming stew. His friend had continued gathering and cooking food for and with Wooyoung, even if he himself hadn't required any. 

He'd required something else. Something else that Wooyoung had given to him sporadically and willingly, whenever it had been necessary. Unfortunately, it hadn't been enough.

Wooyoung swallowed hard, banning the unhappy memory from the forefront of his mind. He had to accept the events and how regrettably they'd occurred, worrying about himself in the present first and foremost. 

And worry he did. He could deny his situation all he wanted, it didn’t alter what would be happening to him and what had already started. 

His eyes, weirdly adjusted to the darkness, making it possible for him to see in spite of no light source being anywhere near. 

His ears, picking up on noises he’d never heard before, the supposed quiet suddenly loud and filled with unfamiliar sounds.

His skin, getting paler in combination with his body temperature falling little by little. 

His limbs, frail yet gaining more unnatural strength every day. It was what had made it possible for him to easily jump into the warehouse through one of its broken windows.

Last but not least… the hunger. Or rather, the thirst. 

It wasn’t strong or unbearable, at least for now. It was a minimal, barely there tingling at the back of this throat, unfamiliar and strange, a craving he wouldn’t be able to satisfy with just water or any other liquid that wasn’t _blood_. It scared him.

He was still able to go out and walk mostly unaffected under the daylight. The question was, for how much longer it would stay like that though. Latest when it would become impossible, Yeosang would find out about his condition and that he’d lied to him. Wooyoung didn’t want to think about it, praying that the gloomy autumn weather would be of advantage. 

His fangs hadn’t grown out either. Who knew when they’d decide to show themselves - it was a rather unpleasant gamble and the only way Wooyoung was able to counteract the danger of potentially exposing himself by accident was to run his tongue over the teeth in question regularly. It had worked so far. 

He was pulled back to the present when Yeosang shut off his flashlight with an audible _click_. “Good night”, the human said, tone neutral. 

_He definitely won’t sleep tonight_ , Wooyoung thought, feeling bad that he’d even robbed his new companion of his flimsy blanket despite not actually needing it - what was the cold to him but a vague sensation? It was all done under the pretense of keeping up his own human status, but somehow that only made it worse. 

“Good night”, he echoed, hating the raspy quality in his voice. He hadn’t managed to quell all the tears filling his eyes after all. He should seriously try to sleep, as it would grant his tormented mind a few hours of much needed rest. 

Tomorrow a new day awaited him - and he wouldn’t be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to this story!  
> I'm not sure yet exactly how long it's going to be, but I'm guessing 3-4 chapters. Unfortunately I can't guarantee regular updates, as I'm very busy with my other multi-chapter fanfic, but I promise that I'm always working on this one too on the side. I just really wanted to post the first part of this - look forward to the continuation!


	2. Chapter 2

Yeosang didn’t sleep that night, as predicted. The short period where he’d involuntarily fallen into a nap lasting approximately an hour didn’t count. 

Wooyoung was a different story. The guy was sleeping peacefully when it had long turned morning with no sign of discomfort due to the cold temperatures, despite the blanket having come off and leaving him completely uncovered. 

Yeosang was mildly confused by the sight and admittedly a little jealous of the serene display. Sleeping relaxed like that was nothing more than wishful thinking for him - had been for months. He waited until he’d finished his breakfast - ironically one of the two cans Wooyoung had intended to snatch from him last night - before jostling the other awake. 

Wooyoung came to his senses immediately, Yeosang barely having touched his shoulder. He didn’t even seem startled, opening his eyes and sitting up slowly without any leftover grogginess showing. “Morning”, he said, blinking twice and taking in the grey atmosphere of the warehouse. “Bad weather, huh?”

_Is he really talking about the weather right now?_ Yeosang hadn’t needed to communicate with another person in ages, yet he _did_ remember what it meant to try and make something called small talk. He’d never been good at it. 

“Nothing remarkable for this season”, he gave back. “Are you hungry? This time I’d be willing to share the food voluntarily.”

Wooyoung’s features were drawn into a mix of embarrassment and remorse. “No, I’m not hungry. Sorry about yesterday… again.” 

Yeosang scoffed, tying his backpack closed after having stuffed in his rolled up sleeping mat and the folded blanket he’d pulled away from Wooyoung. “If you say so. And I’m not blaming you for yesterday’s incident. Aren’t we all just trying to survive out here?” It was a rhetorical question, which was why Yeosang was surprised when he turned back to Wooyoung and found him staring back with something conflicted in his eyes. “I guess we are.”

Yeosang didn’t particularly like the expression on the other’s face, so he moved on from the topic. “The first thing we gotta try and do today is to get you some equipment of your own. Mine is adapted to one person and thus only lasts for so long.”

Wooyoung regarded him curiously. “There should be an abandoned shopping center nearby. Maybe we can find something there.”

Yeosang shouldered his backpack. “Let’s go then.”

And they did. Wooyoung had been right, a ruin of an old mall not that far away to their starting point at the warehouse. The weather was indeed awful, which automatically made Yeosang keep up his guard even more than usual, as he was prepared to fight whatever could possibly attack him. Well, him and his new companion, who he still didn’t know enough about.

While Wooyoung was busy rummaging through a bag store in the left ground floor of the shopping center, Yeosang watched him, trying to discern what he was all about. A difficult task. 

Yesterday he’d witnessed that Wooyoung could hold his own in a physical fight, which meant that he’d presumably also be able to fend off vampires. Then again, he hadn’t been all alone before according to his tellings, so it was possible that he had to learn how to defend himself without any other help.

“How long has it been for you?”, he asked offhandedly, drawing Wooyoung’s attention away from the backpack he was currently examining. “Huh?”

_Very eloquent._ “I mean, since… you know”, Yeosang added and Wooyoung finally caught on. “ _Oh_ ”, he breathed. “Not… not so long. A bit less than a week.”

So his trauma - whatever had happened - was fresh. Wooyoung seemed to be coping admirably taking that into account. 

“I see. No wonder you haven’t gotten yourself anything until now. Unfortunately I don’t have any weapons for you”, Yeosang said, getting a shrug from Wooyoung in return. “I don’t think they’re gonna be necessary anyway.”

_Someone’s confident._

Yeosang concluded that he’d see soon enough whether the other possessed proper fighting abilities or not, switching the topic. “Do you have any plans on where to go?”

Wooyoung had apparently made his decision on the big backpack, clutching it in his arms. “Not really. I’m pretty lost”, he replied sheepishly. “I’d just follow you, to be honest.”

Yeosang didn’t know whether that was intended as a compliment or merely a desperate call for guidance. As if he was any less lost than Wooyoung himself. “I don’t have a goal either. I just wander along wherever the roads take me, making the best of it.”

Wooyoung hummed and they exited the bag shop. “Do you remember what exactly went down? At the fall and… before that?”

Yeosang stiffened but he didn’t make it noticeable. “I don’t. My memories have been gone for months now. At first they were blurred and hazy, but by now I have no recollection whatsoever of my past life.” 

It hurt to admit, but it was the sad truth. He didn’t remember what he’d been doing before everything went to hell. He didn’t remember what he’d been about to do when the fall took away his loved ones and every resemblance of normalcy with them. He didn’t remember how he’d been able to save himself, how he’d survived. He didn’t even remember his age or his birthday. 

His memories started right here, on the cold and grey concrete of a dead city, filled to the brim with nothing but flashes of fear, restlessness and the basic instinct to keep himself alive, whatever it may cost.

“Me too”, Wooyoung gave back, the both of them sharing an empathetic look. “These monsters couldn’t even have left us our memories.”

Yeosang pressed his lips together. “They don’t matter anymore. What's important is the here and now. Being hung up on an utopian past wouldn’t be of any help.”

“That’s quite a depressing way to view it.”

“Perhaps, but it’s also a realistic one.”

“The cruel reality of this world, is that it?”

Yeosang nodded, staying silent.

Wooyoung did the same, the two of them plundering through several more shops, taking with them whatever they deemed useful. Wooyoung filled up his freshly acquired backpack with different kinds of content. Meanwhile Yeosang was delighted when he discovered a comparably high-quality sleeping bag, pulling out the mat and blanket swiftly to replace them, leaving them there unceremoniously. He also made sure to grab a light brown coat and a pair of warm boots, advising Wooyoung to get some for himself too. All in all, it had been a successful trip and they hadn’t encountered any trouble in the form of stray ferals roaming around.

It was when Yeosang gathered some more cans of food in a grocery store, that he oddly found Wooyoung standing in front of one of the shelves, something like melancholy in his eyes. “Don’t you want to get some for yourself?”, Yeosang asked cautiously. Wooyoung flinched, blinking at him in surprise. “Me? Y-Yeah, let me… let me get these”, he mumbled, awkwardly grabbing two cans and putting them next to his other supplies. 

Yeosang observed the action with a frown. It was strange, but maybe Wooyoung had simply been reminded of something and forgotten his surroundings for a second. It was the most plausible explanation and Yeosang would take it. For now.

The rest of their day went by smoothly, night approaching scarily fast and soon with the sky being dark and uninviting. They made their way back to the warehouse, figuring it would be alright to remain there for some more time since there wasn’t any danger lurking around it. Yeosang did make a fire this time, using a variety of waste scraps to ignite with his trusted lighter. He warmed up a can of soup, happily indulging in granting himself two meals on this day because he’d just stocked up anyway.

Wooyoung was shifting uncomfortably next to him, taking out one of his own rations and holding it above the flames shakily. 

_What’s his issue with food?_ Yeosang wondered, not for the first time. The problem was that he didn’t know whether it would be appropriate to ask him about something that evidently bothered him so much. His six months of isolation told him that it probably didn’t even matter and that he was overthinking the issue, so he took a shot. “Do you struggle with eating or something?”

Wooyoung nearly dropped the can at the question. “N-No, I don’t. Not at all.” It wasn’t convincing in the slightest. 

Yeosang felt his confusion rising. “It looks like it though”, he pressed. 

Wooyoung sighed. “Sorry, it’s just… It reminds me of what my friend always used to make for me.”

Yeosang’s suspicions were confirmed then. And now he felt bad yet also glad for having gotten Wooyoung to tell him the truth. “I understand.”

Wooyoung swallowed, pulling his arm back and putting the can on the floor. “It’s gonna take a while for me to… eat normally again.”

Yeosang didn’t know how to react to the statement, so he decided to stay quiet, deliberately reaching out a hand. He lightly touched Wooyoung’s shoulder, putting a careful pressure into his grip. The latter turned his head towards him at the gesture, tensing a bit but not brushing him off. 

“Take as long as you need. But don’t let it go too far”, Yeosang said, holding Wooyoung’s gaze captive with his own, golden meeting chocolate. He had found someone sane in this nightmare that he called his daily life and he wasn’t about to let him go so easily, disregarding that he’d known him for roughly one day. And disregarding how he’d almost killed the guy himself during their first encounter. 

“I won’t”, Wooyoung promised, a bit wobbly but at least a spark had returned to his eyes. It sufficed for Yeosang. 

They went to sleep without any further valuable exchange. Yeosang found that his mind and heart weren’t racing as much as they used to, for the first time in forever. Obviously he still didn’t fully trust Wooyoung, but the initial ice between them had been broken. It was… revitalizing. Interacting with another person, seeing that he wasn’t the only one struggling with so many things, making an effort to keep up a brave facade. 

Yeosang was uncharacteristically optimistic concerning their future. Of course his optimism could stem from the desperation of not wanting to be devoured by his loneliness anymore. But that was valid.

The next days went by without any major happenings, Wooyoung and him moving on and continuing in a semblance of a regular daily life. They talked more, staying up longer and longer every evening, sharing experiences and trading wisdoms. Yeosang never really saw Wooyoung eat, but the other claimed that he was fine and that he preferred doing it while Yeosang was already asleep. Yeosang wasn’t actually buying it, but seeing as the other hadn’t collapsed - although he certainly kept getting paler -, there had to be some truth to his reassurances. 

Yeosang found himself increasingly charmed by his new companion, quickly learning to appreciate his witty humor being right on par with his own, often making their talks more light-hearted than would expect them to be taking place in the ever-grey world around them. Wooyoung was like a breath of pure life that had been sent to Yeosang, making him see in vibrant colors where there had formerly been dreary black and white. 

Yeosang enjoyed their journeying greatly, yet he wasn’t able to wholly unwind, a nagging voice at the back of his mind constantly reminding him that all of this newfound pleasure could be taken away from him faster than he’d be able to count from one to three. It was a restraint, mercilessly pulling him back to reality proceeding every exciting interaction with Wooyoung. 

And perhaps it was a good thing after all, because all circumstances considered, things had been going _too_ well since the two of them had decided to stick together, suspiciously so. 

Until they didn’t anymore. 

One relatively normal day after a week of them traversing the empty city streets, afternoon bleeding into dusk, they’d discovered that one of them wasn’t as _empty_ as they’d thought. Yeosang hadn’t noticed at first, vaguely unnerved when Wooyoung held him back from walking on by holding onto his arm with a worrying expression on his face. “There’s something ahead. Ferals”, he said. A fleeting pause, then, “Three of them. A trio.”

Yeosang glossed over the detail that he couldn’t explain how Wooyoung was able to discern something like that from this distance, as he himself could neither hear and much less _see_ anything. “What do you want to do? Should we fight them?”

Wooyoung looked at him with wide eyes, hints of panic gathering in his gaze rapidly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. They’re ravenous with hunger.”

“Aren’t _all_ ferals ravenous with hunger?”, Yeosang repeated sarcastically, but Wooyoung shook his head. “Not as strongly as those. We seriously shouldn’t get involved with them.” There was an urgency in Wooyoung’s tone and before Yeosang could question him about _how_ he would know something like that, the grip on his arm tightened and he was dragged a few paces. 

“They’re getting closer. We have to get away”, Wooyoung hissed and eventually let go of Yeosang to drop down in front of a broad manhole cover. “Can you help me?”

“You want to hide in the _sewers_? Are you insane? These could be crawling with even more of those monsters”, Yeosang complained, but still went to help, the cover coming off with a screeching noise, revealing a rusty ladder leading into an ominous darkness. _Very promising._

“I’m not sensing any vampires down there, which is why it’s definitely our best choice for now”, Wooyoung said breezily, swiftly grabbing onto the ladder and starting his descent. Yeosang wasn’t having it. “What do you mean, you can’t _sense_ them? Do you have some kind of telepathic power?”

Wooyoung froze for a millisecond, shaking his head once more. “Just trust me on this. Block the cover once you’re low enough.”

And with that he threw down his backpack, climbing into the shadows subsequently, Yeosang losing sight of him disturbingly fast. He hesitated, thinking his companion had lost his mind, but then a telltale growl reached his ears and he let his own backpack fall down, getting into the hole without further delay, the first bouts of adrenaline shooting through his veins. It had been too long since his last fight.

He felt relief rising up when the cover properly shut above him, retracting his hand and concentrating on finding some stability on the ancient, unstable ladder. Darkness was enveloping him and it became an admittedly challenging task to take one step after the other while trying to regulate his breathing. 

“Yeosang? Are you okay?”, Wooyoung’s voice came from below, tinted by a concerned edge and echoing minimally.

“I’m fine”, Yeosang called back, paying mind to where he put his feet, his hands gripping each new rung tightly. He was sure that he had to be close to the ground, when a fizzing sound scared him, making him put too much weight onto the next rung that his toes were touching. Of course it led to the dilapidated thing breaking through. Yeosang effectively lost his balance and when he felt his body falling, he let out an undignified yelp. 

He prepared to land on the hard, concrete floor of the sewer bank, but instead he soon - there really had been only a short bit missing - found himself being caught and embraced. By none other than Wooyoung. 

The latter didn’t stumble upon the impact, holding onto Yeosang tightly. “That was dangerous”, he said, and Yeosang spotted a light flare on the ground, illuminating their surroundings. _So that was the cause of the sound._

“... Are you alright?”, Wooyoung asked yet again, Yeosang turning his head to look at him and becoming uncomfortably aware of their proximity. They stared at each other, the flare’s light letting wavering shadows dance over their faces. It was the most physical contact they’d ever had between them, essentially pressed together from head to toe, Yeosang’s back against Wooyoung’s chest. 

“I-I…” Yeosang’s voice died out embarrassingly and he cleared his throat. “I was just frightened by the sudden noise of the flare. Nothing bad, so you can let go now.” He wiggled out of Wooyoung’s arms clumsily, the other releasing him immediately and putting some space between them. “Thank you for catching me”, Yeosang added shyly and Wooyoung nodded, scratching the back of his head. “No problem.” 

He picked up the flare, holding it higher and Yeosang discovered that they were indeed standing on a sewer bank, the water flowing past them. The underground tunnels appeared abandoned from all directions. 

“What now?”, Yeosang inquired, shouldering his backpack. “Should we remain here for the night?”

“I think that would be for the best”, Wooyoung agreed. “Maybe we can find a wider spot, somewhere to make an actual fire.”

“Let’s get going.”

Yeosang’s muddled mind made him dwell so much on the moment from before, that he forgot about asking Wooyoung one more time how he’d been able to identify the danger from so far away and how he’d known that there would be no one in the sewers. What he _did_ wonder about was why his companion had felt so cold though.

They both weren’t wearing their coats today, as the temperatures had been comparably moderate from midday on, with rays of sunlight peeking through the dense clouds sporadically. Wooyoung hadn’t seemed to enjoy the latter phenomenon a lot, slowing his pace and claiming that he hadn’t slept well that night, fatigue weighing him down. It had puzzled Yeosang. 

And now the apparent lack of body warmth got added to the mix, starkly felt throughout the lack of layers of thicker clothes between them. And then there was his aversion to food. And his pale skin. 

_It’s all coming together_ , Yeosang thought, overcome by a wave of numbing dread. He trained his eyes on Wooyoung walking in front of him, flare held high and oblivious to how he was being analyzed right at this moment and the inner turmoil those findings were causing for Yeosang. 

_It can’t be true._

The denial rang hollow, no genuine conviction infused with it. 

_I don’t want it to be true._

_That_ made more sense - making it infinitely scarier for that reason. Yeosang had become attached to Wooyoung, afraid of losing him after a single week of traveling with him. The revelation that he might be a vampire made Yeosang want to throw himself right into the murky sewer water.

He bit his lip, forcing himself to be calm and deciding that it would be sufficient to keep monitoring the situation for now. He never would've taken such a risk on his own, but the tables had been turned with Wooyoung entering the picture. Now he could only hope that they wouldn’t be turned on _him_.

\- - -

Wooyoung was extremely grateful for spending some time below the earth. As much as he denied it, the daylight was starting to weigh on him heavily, making his limbs feel like lead with every step he took. Not even the gloomy weather was of help. 

It was getting worse. Everything was getting worse.

He was becoming weaker, his lethargy showing more often than he’d like and making Yeosang judge him with something undoubtedly bewildered - and suspicious. Wooyoung knew that his human companion wasn’t stupid, not at all, and that meant he wouldn’t be able to hide his secret for much longer. 

Prolonging his suffering didn’t seem likely.

He tried pulling himself together but it was easier said than done. It didn’t help that he kept being drawn to Yeosang like a moth to a flame. There were still many things he didn’t know about the human, yet it felt as if he’d known him his whole life. Not a hard feat to accomplish considering how his memories either were a jumbled mess or completely gone, but that just made it that much more special. 

He’d reacted on instinct when Yeosang had fallen down, only one thought in mind: keeping him safe. Wooyoung realized that it was becoming his main goal, no matter what it would take - even if it entailed compromising himself even more by letting it shine through that he was able to perceive things that Yeosang wouldn’t have seen coming in ages. Wooyoung was genuinely surprised that the human hadn’t interviewed him about that by now. Perhaps he was in his own stage of denial. Wooyoung certainly wouldn’t complain about it.

He wasn’t incredibly pleased when they returned to the surface, but it was inevitable. They continued spending their days wandering around and talking about everything and nothing. Sometimes they also just let hours go by sitting next to each other without saying anything in a comfortable quiet, with the autumn evenings blanketing them in cool darkness. Every so often Yeosang took out and read one of the random books he'd seized during the day, Wooyoung content with contemplating him.

Wooyoung was getting used to their routine, relishing in the inner peace it gave him. If it wasn’t for the issue of him gradually turning into a vampire.

The first time he’d acknowledged his newfound craving for blood had been when Yeosang had reached over to grab something with Wooyoung sitting in the way - the gap between them had decreased steadily every night, the more time they spent with and the better they got to know each other. 

Of course the human hadn’t paid mind to the simple action, unaware of how him offering a perfect view of his neck had awakened something rather unfortunate within his companion. Wooyoung hadn’t been able to talk much more that evening, busy with putting all his energies into repressing the persistent nagging at the back of his mind, urging him to… _take a bite_. 

It messed with his head in the worst ways and he feared that if he didn’t get an outlet soon, he’d go insane. _That didn’t take long._

It was a morning not unlike the previous ones, when Yeosang suggested that they should stray a bit from the city, moving on to the next one if possible, crossing through the forest they’d seen looming ahead from afar on the past day. Wooyoung agreed as usual, rarely questioning Yeosang’s choices and he _was_ getting quite tired of this specific dead city. 

They packed up their things and set off, reaching the forest and entering it without preamble, Wooyoung being glad that he didn’t detect any other presences besides their own. That changed when he was waiting for Yeosang to finish picking and storing a supposedly helpful plant he’d found.

The weak noise sneaked up on him from a mile away, making him turn his head into the direction. Irregular steps and a deranged aura. It was a lone feral.

Yeosang got up from his crouching position, noticing Wooyoung’s serious expression. “Let me guess, you’re _sensing_ something again?”

“I am.” 

Wooyoung let his eyes trail to his companion. He looked rested and in a good condition. The sky was darkened with dark-grey clouds promising a downpour at some point - it made things easier for Wooyoung too. And it was only one opponent they’d have to confront. “We’re being approached by a single feral. Do you want to fight it?”

Yeosang chuckled. “Oh, so _now_ you want to fight?”

“Why not? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Wooyoung absolutely made himself sound more confident than he actually was, but the appreciation flickering over Yeosang’s face made it worth it. The last time he’d fought feral vampires had been when San was by his side and protecting him comparably easily. Maybe he could try and do the same for Yeosang now - the one useful aspect of his superhuman skills. They had to be good for _something_ , regardless of him being heavily drained of any strengthening blood and exhausted from the parching lack of it. 

"Theoretically we could outrun it, but…" 

"... where's the fun in that?", Yeosang finished his sentence, already taking out his knife. The silver blade reflected the dull daylight in a pale flash of white, reminding Wooyoung of when he'd been on its other end. Dark as the thought might be, he probably would be able to call himself lucky if Yeosang showed him the mercy of ending his life before he lost control - some time in the future. 

He shook his head, erasing the sinister vision from his mind. He had more important things to focus on right now. The unknown vampire was advancing on them incessantly. 

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright without a weapon?”, Yeosang inquired, twirling the knife in his hand leisurely. 

“I will. Don’t worry about me”, Wooyoung assured him, getting a mutter of “I’m not worried”, in response. They didn’t exchange another word, Yeosang following Wooyoung, approaching their soon-to-be enemy and encountering it relatively soon. 

The crawling feral looked horrifying as expected, no humanity left in its visuals and immediately snapping its head in their direction upon sensing them. Wooyoung tried to remain levelheaded, pushing aside the unpleasant scenarios of him turning into something like _this_ manifesting before his inner eye. He caught a glimpse of Yeosang dropping his backpack and readying his weapon, more than ready to fight. 

And fight they did. 

The feral didn’t hesitate, launching an attack at them recklessly, Yeosang shoving himself in front of Wooyoung and blocking the strike effortlessly. He continued moving with practiced ease, Wooyoung finding himself weirdly useless, as the human channeled all of the feral’s attention. He lured it in to try another hit, driving his knife right into its abdomen once it was within reach. The creature let out a seething hiss, the silver burning his insides effectively. Black, stale blood was dripping from the wound and when Yeosang pulled out his knife, the feral stumbled back, giving him the chance to finish it with a kick. It crumpled on the ground, more indescribable sounds leaving its fanged mouth before it succumbed to death.

Wooyoung barely contained his jaw dropping at the scene he had just witnessed. _So much for protecting him._ If anyone would require protection, it would probably be Wooyoung himself. He gulped.

Yeosang turned to him, clearly aware of how he’d impressed his companion and smug about it. “Sorry, did you want to have a go at it too?”

Wooyoung stared at him. “You’re amazing.”

Yeosang hadn’t seen the compliment coming, faltering minimally in his bravado and laughing reservedly with a faint blush gracing his features. “Thank you.” 

Wooyoung would’ve been happy to give him even more praise for how he’d handled the fight within a mere minute, but he was stopped by an array of unfamiliar auras invading his senses. _More ferals._ Many _more._

Apparently the creature’s yell had attracted others of its kind from further away. It made sense, considering they weren’t far into the forest yet, near the city. Wooyoung felt his gut churning at the prospect of having to face all of those monsters at once. Not even Yeosang would be able to handle them. “Yeosang…”, he began, sobering up.

The human seemed to read his mind, taking his backpack and frowning in concern. “More of them?”

“Yes”, Wooyoung said. “Run.”

They broke into a sprint, running into no particular direction, deeper into the woods. Unlike the last time, there wasn’t the possibility of them jumping into a sewer hole here - they had to outrun their enemies as fast as possible. Wooyoung was relieved when he felt the numerous presences fading progressively, only to be alarmed maximally when exactly one suddenly met him head-on. He threw a glance over his shoulder and was confirmed in his suspicion as he spotted another single feral shooting out of the thicket, hanging on their heels and closing in with a snarl. 

Wooyoung cursed, finding Yeosang already turning around as well and decreasing his tempo. “Keep running - I’ll handle this one and join you later”, Wooyoung told him, the human looking at him hesitatingly but nodding in the end and picking up his speed once more. 

Now it was on Wooyoung. 

He stopped in his tracks abruptly, evading the first lunge of the unhinged creature in the process and reversing their positions. He put all of his will into summoning his vampire strength and figuring out a strategy - because that was how he differed from this feral. He could _think_ and make rational decisions based on so much more than primal desires and instincts. 

The feral appeared thrown off by Wooyoung stopping, but it didn’t take long to recover and attack. Wooyoung was just glad that it was fixating solely on him instead of chasing Yeosang, or otherwise his plan would have backfired from the start. 

The feral growled at him and Wooyoung tried his best to keep its jaw, lined with sharp teeth and snapping at him, away from his own face. One of its fangs caught his left forearm, tearing through his jacket sleeve and leaving behind a scratch that was just deep enough to draw a thin line of blood on the surface - and making poison enter his veins.

_Joke’s on you_ , Wooyoung thought grimly, _I’m already one of your damn kind._

He’d have to topple the feral over, similar to what Yeosang had done to him back then. So he used his legs to make the creature lose its balance, pressing it into the soil with a force that was even stronger than he’d anticipated - it scared him to ponder what he'd be like at his peak performance. He had much to learn about vampire powers.

He got back up, all the while keeping the pressure on the feral and not letting go. He put his foot on its neck, crushing it determinedly. The creature was heaving under his weight, the rest of its life bleeding out promptly when its spine ultimately gave a _crack_.

It was done.

Wooyoung kept staring down at the pitiful being below him for a moment. A being who’d most certainly been just like him in the past. A victim of a ruthless curse it hadn’t willingly chosen for itself.

_The cruel reality of this world. Just like I said._

Wooyoung stepped away from the body, mildly disconcerted that there were still several auras heading for his position. He had to reconvene with Yeosang.

He traced the human’s scent - intoxicating as ever -, continuing to let it lead him. It took a surprisingly brief time for him to find his companion, the latter leaning against a tree further ahead and ambling towards Wooyoung upon recognizing him. 

“Why didn’t you go on?”, Wooyoung said accusingly, but he was met with a small quirk of Yeosang’s lips. “Did you seriously think that I’d leave you behind?”

A balmy warmth spread over Wooyoung at Yeosang’s words, like a blanket wrapping around him to shield him from any harm. It also made him hide his shallow injury from the other’s view, not wanting to upset him any more - because as much as Yeosang made an attempt to hide his obvious relief at Wooyoung’s well-being behind the nonchalantly rhetorical question, he saw right through it. The widening of his eyes when he’d seen him, the trembling gasp stumbling from his mouth, the quiver in his voice - all signs giving him away, and Wooyoung was living for it.

But they didn’t have time.

“I’m happy you didn’t”, he whispered, making sure that Yeosang heard it. “We’ll have to keep running though.”

“Off we go then.”

Once again, they ran. They weren’t in such an extreme frenzy, as they’d been earlier, which was without a doubt owed to the ferals’ presences disappearing from Wooyoung’s senses quicker than previously. Either they’d lost interest or found their murdered mates, making them reassess the worth of hunting someone who’d done something like that to them. As far as these beings were even able to pursue a complex path of thinking.

When Wooyoung’s mind was finally freed of any invading, potentially malevolent auras, he slowed down, Yeosang doing the same and visibly grateful.

“Do you always make it a habit to seek trouble?”, the human asked breathlessly, bending over slightly, but there was an endearingly amused quality to the inquiry, his gaze sparkling with exhilaration. 

_I don’t have to seek it. I’m already in trouble every time I look into your eyes_ , Wooyoung thought dazedly, hardly managing to pretend to be out of breath as well due to the welcome distraction the human was providing with his precious smile. “What, just because I didn’t run away this time? Everything worked out in the end.”

“That might be the case, but you’re on watch duty tonight for that. I’m sure you don’t mind?”, Yeosang continued, calming down and pointedly looking at Wooyoung. 

“Fine by me”, Wooyoung grinned, feeling elated at Yeosang mirroring his expression once more. 

Wooyoung was _definitely_ in trouble. 

It had turned even darker over the course of the incident - luckily there was no rain coming down after all -, so they decided that it would be for the best to stop for today. They set their campfire, the fresh sticks of wood from all over the floor providing a much greater source for it than the usual waste and junk they often struggled to gather. Once they got seated by the fire, next to each other as always, Wooyoung took in their environment properly. 

The forest was so different from the city - in the best way. Unlike the bitter and harsh concrete and walls, no sound to be heard besides one’s own breathing, the surroundings here were _alive_. Alive with noises made by tiny animals rushing inside or creeping out of their hideouts, the rustling of the colorful autumn leaves leaves in the treetops and the occasional crack of branches echoing from the depths. 

Wooyoung felt safer under this open sky and surrounded by nature than he’d ever be able to inside a ruined house or underground tunnel. He kept staring into the flames, stuck in his own musings, when he felt a weight on his shoulder. Yeosang had laid his head down on it, carefully so. It was an unspoken request.

Wooyoung answered by gently putting an arm around Yeosang’s frame, happy to find the latter relaxing his stiff posture at the gesture and huddling even closer with a small sigh. Wooyoung consciously focused on appeasing his fluttering heartbeat, picking up at their proximity and letting him know once more that he was at least still vaguely human in that aspect.

“What do you think, how far does this forest reach? How far until we encounter another city?”, Yeosang asked tiredly. Fighting and running had taken a toll on him. 

“Rather far, I’d say. We’re in for a long walk.”

“Wonderful. I hope we won’t encounter any more of those bastards.” Yeosang shifted minimally. “How’s your wound? Does it need treatment?”

His tone was casual, contrasting to how Wooyoung tensed at the inquiry. _So he saw._

“It’s just a scratch.” A scratch that was already fully healed, in spite of him not having acquired any… blood.

Yeosang was silent for several moments too long before speaking. “If you say so.” 

_He knows._

Yeosang lifted his head, directly looking at Wooyoung. “When are you going to tell me the truth?”

Wooyoung felt a shudder running down his back. He was tempted to let go of Yeosang, but somehow continuing to cling to him was grounding. He swallowed hard. “What are you talking about?”

Yeosang knit his eyebrows. “I’m tired of secrets standing between us. We haven’t spent a long time together, yet I feel a connection with you, which is why I want you to trust me. I… I don’t want to lose you. It’s a scary thought.”

Wooyoung forgot how to breathe. “I don’t want to lose you either”, he said, suddenly caught in the human’s stormy gaze and losing himself in its golden depth. 

Golden. That was what Yeosang was - his eyes, his hair, his skin. Like the sun.

It was a dazzling and deadly combination for Wooyoung - he couldn’t keep his distance.

“You allowed me to stay with you, despite not even knowing me. You offered me sympathy and understanding without wanting anything in return. Just like that.”

“You did the same for me.”

Wooyoung let out a short, humorless laugh, averting his eyes. “I can’t compare to you. I haven’t even shared the entire story of my past with you. You _don’t_ know me.”

Yeosang decidedly put a hand to his face, gently forcing him to look back at him. “Then _tell_ me about yourself. I want to know you. I want to know everything.”

Wooyoung was left speechless at the human’s determination, his whispers ringing like thunder in his ears. He felt the heat of Yeosang’s palm warming his icy skin, spreading towards his heart with a frightening intensity. 

He lifted his own hand, letting his fingertips caress Yeosang’s cheek in a feathery touch. Yeosang let it happen, keeping his gaze steady and letting it drop lower after a while. Wooyoung knew that the human was looking at his lips, probably with a very reckless thought forming in his mind - and the worst thing was, that Wooyoung wasn’t off any better. He wouldn’t stop Yeosang. He’d have to stop himself first. 

From where his skin was connected to Yeosang’s, Wooyoung felt the heat radiating continuously, seeping straight into his veins. A profound ache rose inside of him, tingling at the back of his throat and momentarily blinding his other senses, overshadowing them in a veil of _hunger_.

Yeosang’s blood was singing to him in a terribly enticing way, the temptation to taste it suddenly overwhelming. Wooyoung had held himself at bay over the past days, but he couldn’t deny how his thirst had gotten substantially worse, heightening exponentially through him getting cozier with the human. Now, with his neck exposed yet again and his beautiful face mere inches from Wooyoung’s own, it became impossible to keep his composure. 

He leaned in, hand sliding down to Yeosang’s neck and breathing picking up. Yeosang met him halfway and Wooyoung could see his eyes fluttering shut in anticipation. Their lips were almost touching, brushing tenderly. 

_So close. So_ sweet _._

That’s when Wooyoung felt it. A pinprick sensation of a minuscule pain from where something had pierced his bottom lip.

His fangs.

They’d finally presented themselves, triggered by his fierce emotions, lengthening and ready to tear into the next living thing they’d find. Into Yeosang. 

It made Wooyoung break out of his mesmerized daze, the haze clearing from his mind instantaneously and startling him, making him recoil as if he’d been burned. Maybe he actually had been - or been about to.

He scooted back, tearing himself away from Yeosang’s warmth, his kind words, his soft hands and his delightful blood. The human was taken off-guard, blushing and left hanging, not knowing why.

The reason was fairly simple. 

_We can’t do this._ I _can’t do this, not to him. I’d only hurt him, or worse. He deserves someone better than me._

Wooyoung took care to keep his mouth shut tightly, eyes shimmering with tears he hadn’t felt rising, meeting Yeosang’s in fear. Somehow it was similar to their first meeting - yet so different. 

Yeosang didn’t say anything, watching Wooyoung with an unreadable expression and it made him want to scream. _What have I done?_

Eventually the human let out a shaky sigh, getting up wordlessly. “I’m going to sleep. Enjoy your night watch.” His voice was taut and most of all, _hurt_. Wooyoung sensed it strongly. It tore his own heart into pieces. 

“I’m sorry”, he said hoarsely, not finding it in himself to be upset at the human not sparing him another glance and climbing into his rolled out sleeping bag. 

“Good night”, were the curt two words he got as acknowledgment. 

Wooyoung shut his eyes, a pain buried in his chest that made him feel awful to his bones. _This is for the best. I want to keep him safe at all cost._ That was what he told himself, but it didn’t soothe the hurt, worsening it instead. 

There was simply no way to change the fact that he’d become a creature of the night, bound to nourish himself on blood or doomed to lose his mind in abstinence from it - nothing but a mortal danger to someone like Yeosang.

If only there wasn't a second fact adding itself to the equation now, tormenting Wooyoung worse than any silver ever could, making him despise the first one with a blazing hatred more than ever.

One, he was a vampire. 

And two, he was in love with a human. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope their relationship development doesn't feel all too rushed, as I only really know how to write slow burn - but I tried. The true spice will be going down in the next chapter then ^^  
> Thanks for reading! <3


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